Meridian

WHERE EAST MEETS WEST

The Royal Observatory was established at Greenwich in 1675. As Britain was a growing sea power, navigators needed accurate methods to establish their whereabouts. The task of the observatory was to establish means by which this could be accomplished. Several Meridians were defined at 0 degrees separating East from West. This marker identifies the last Meridian established by Sir George Airy, Astronomer Royal and adopted as the Prime Meridian of the world in 1884. The Greenwich Observatory and its marker are a very popular tourist destination, many visitors wanting to record their feet straddling East and West. This image shows the marker, a modern sculpture at its northern end and numerous blurred figures (due to a long exposure).

WHERE EAST MEETS WEST

The Royal Observatory was established at Greenwich in 1675. As Britain was a growing sea power, navigators needed accurate methods to establish their whereabouts. The task of the observatory was to establish means by which this could be accomplished. Several Meridians were defined at 0 degrees separating East from West. This marker identifies the last Meridian established by Sir George Airy, Astronomer Royal and adopted as the Prime Meridian of the world in 1884. The Greenwich Observatory and its marker are a very popular tourist destination, many visitors wanting to record their feet straddling East and West. This image shows the marker, a modern sculpture at its northern end and numerous blurred figures (due to a long exposure).